We will have the following 5 new books for sale at our book table starting this Sunday (remember that all books are sold at the price that we got them for [many times cheaper than the list price] and are all approved by the church leadership and, we pray, are for you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ):

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Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper

Draws on key biblical texts to demonstrate that worship is the ultimate goal of the church and that proper worship fuels missionary outreach.

John Piper offers a biblical defense of God’s supremacy in all things, providing readers with a sound theological foundation for missions. He examines whether Jesus is the only way to salvation and issues a passionate plea for God-centeredness in the missionary enterprise, seeking to define the scope of the task and the means for reaching “all nations.” The third edition has been revised and expanded throughout and includes new material on the prosperity gospel. The book is essential reading for those involved in or preparing for missions work. It also offers enlightenment for college and seminary students, pastors, youth workers, campus ministers, and all who want to connect their labors to God’s global purposes.

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Long Story Short by Marty Machowski

Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God

Christian parents know the importance of passing the gospel story on to their children, yet we live in a busy world filled with distractions. Schedules collide, there is homework and yard work and dishes and laundry, the car’s oil should be changed, there are phone calls to make…and before you know it, everyone is getting to bed late again.

The Bible can seem like a long story for an active family to read, but when you break it down into short sections, as Marty Machowski does, family devotions are easy to do. Long Story Short will help busy parents share with their children how every story in the Old Testament points forward to God’s story of salvation through Jesus Christ. You won’t find a more important focus for a family devotional than a daily highlighting of the gospel of grace. Clever stories and good moral lessons may entertain and even help children, but the gospel will transform children. The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to transform the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read.

Ten minutes a day, five days a week is enough time to pass on the most valuable treasure the world has ever known. Long Story Short is a family devotional program designed to explain God’s plan of salvation through the Old Testament and is suitable for children from preschool through high school.

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Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will by Kevin DeYoung

or “How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc.”

Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung counsels Christians to settle down, make choices, and do the hard work of seeing those choices through.

Too often, he writes, God’s people jump from church to church, workplace to workplace, relational circle to relational circle, worrying that they haven’t found God’s perfect will for their lives.

But God doesn’t need to tell us what to do at each fork in the road. He’s already revealed His plan for our lives: to love Him with our whole hearts, to obey His Word, and after that, to do what we like.

No need for hocus-pocus. No reason to be directionally challenged. Just do something.

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Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp

…how to speak to the heart of your child.

The things your child does and says flows from the heart. Luke 6:45 puts it this way, “. . . out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (NIV) Written for parents with children of any age, this insightful book provides perspectives and procedures for shepherding your child’s heart into the paths of life.

God doesn’t call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine—that is, the church’s teaching—that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you’re a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you’re a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you.

This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Wayne Grudem’s award-winning book on systematic theology.

Christina Jesuroga has been edified and highly recommends the following series from 1 Timothy 2:9-15 for the women at our church to read or listen to:

Christian women are under tremendous pressure these days:

“Get a job, don’t waste your education.”

“You’ll only be fulfilled if you succeed in your career.”

“You need a new look, then you’ll be happy.”

“We can’t afford to lose your income, you have to work.”

Even, “Mommy, don’t go.”

But is the world’s model for womanhood the best there is?

In his study, God’s High Calling for Women, John MacArthur sorts out the New Testament’s encouraging instruction to women on their role, appearance, attitude, testimony, and contribution to the Lord’s work—the true path to fulfillment.

In the past we have given away the IX Marks book “10 Marks of a Healthy Church Member” as a resource to help in the spiritual growth of our church. This Sunday we will be giving each family another book to aid us in growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That book is the following:

Why on earth does anyone need a guide on how to listen to sermons? Don’t we simply need to ‘be there’ and stay awake? Yet Jesus said: ‘Consider carefully how you listen.’ The fact is, much more is involved in truly listening to Bible teaching than just sitting and staring at the preacher.

Christopher Ash outlines seven ingredients for healthy listening. He then deals with how to respond to bad sermons – ones that are dull, or inadequate, or heretical. And finally, he challenges us with ideas for helping and encouraging our Bible teachers to give sermons that will really help us to grow as Christians.

Where does the authority of a Bible teacher come from?

Why is Bible teaching offensive?

Why is it important to hear Bible teaching in church?

How can we actually enjoy Bible teaching more?

These (and more) are the questions answered by this practical guide, which includes effective, hands-on suggestions for implementing each idea. All with the aim of helping us learn how to listen properly, so that through His word, God will make us more and more Christ like.

This book comes highly recommended:

“We give Listen Up to all our new members.”

—Mark Dever, Senior Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church

“Provides crucial theology and practical advice about listening that can make the difference between life and death in the church.”

—R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton

“A terrific little volume – and I hope it has a wide circulation.”

—Iain D. Campbell, Minister in the Free Church of Scotland

“A great resource to help grow a new generation of believers who both tremble at God’s word and are changed by it.”

Details: This Saturday (Sept. 25, 2010), we will be starting up a new book study for the men. It is based on the book The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. The study will focus on personal purity and will emphasize the importance of discipleship within the church and within the family. You will not need the book for the first class as it will be an introduction.

“Be holy, for I am holy,” commands God to His people. But holiness is something that is often missed in the Christian’s daily life. According to Jerry Bridges, that’s because we’re not exactly sure what our part in holiness is. In The Pursuit of Holiness, he helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do–and what we should accept responsibility for ourselves. Whether you’re continuing your pursuit of holiness or just beginning, the principles and guidelines in The Pursuit of Holiness will challenge you to obey God’s command of holiness.

“When people ask me to name the Ligonier teaching material they should use to help them grow; I tell them, ‘You should start with The Holiness of God.’” – R.C. Sproul

This classic can help you better understand the biblical picture of God’s awesome holiness and why it is so foundational to God-centered, God-honoring theology and Christian living. In The Holiness of God , R.C. Sproul demonstrates that encountering God’s holy presence is a terrifying experience. Dr. Sproul argues that this struggle is nonetheless necessary because it is the only way to cure our propensity to trust in ourselves and our own righteousness for salvation.

If you are unfamiliar with this teaching check out the 3 minute video below for a preview: